Lawyer again urges end to Samvel Karapetyan's persecution

Defence lawyer Aram Vardevanyan has again called on the Armenian authorities to end the politically motivated prosecution of businessman and philanthropist Samvel Karapetyan.

In a social media post on Saturday, Vardevanyan said he is still awaiting a decision from investigators on whether Karapetyan will be allowed to issue a video message. He indicated the delay may be due to postal service issues and expects a response on Monday.

The lawyer said authorities have the option to discontinue the case or, at minimum, lift Karapetyan’s house arrest, which has been in place since January. He reiterated his call for the proceedings to be halted, criticising what he described as a lack of humanity in the handling of the case.